- Location:
Children’s resort centre “Chaika” (Чайка) in Chuvash Republic, Russia (about 10 km from Cheboksary).
- Project:
We have been organizing international language camps “Language Plus” for five years. In our camps Russian and foreign volunteers collaborate to organize cultural, educational and sport activities for local children and children from nearby regions aged 7-17.
Our mission is to provide every child with a range of opportunities which help him/her to grow and improve themselves as a person.
- The aims of the project:
• intercultural exchange;
• raising children’s interest in other cultures and tolerance to other nationalities, religions, races;
• learning foreign languages;
• building teamwork and leadership skills;
• discovering and developing children’s creative skills ;
• educating children to be leaders with active life position
- Tasks:
•Teaching foreign languages to the participants (in the form of playing games, singing songs or improving their language skills through discussions). These include the volunteer’s native language, and English if their English level is B2 or higher and they feel comfortable with teaching two languages.
•Giving a presentation of the volunteer’s native country with the aim to teach the children its history, culture, customs and traditions.
•Organizing and together with children taking part in some sport activities, strategic games, shows and handcrafts.
•Making intercultural and educational workshops of different kinds: handcrafts, sports, national games, music, dance, photography, etc.
- Free time:
Free time for volunteers is flexible. The volunteers are mostly busy in the morning having lessons. There’s fixed rest hour from 1 to 3 pm. The rest of the day is flexible and free hours depend on the day’s schedule and other volunteers’ schedule. You have to keep in mind that the kids will always be around, asking questions and just trying to communicate or play with you.
During the camp you will have an opportunity to visit Yoshkar-Ola (the capital of the Mari Republic) and also we are ready to give you a tour around Cheboksary at the end of the camp.
- Accommodation:
Volunteers will stay in the resort center “Lesnaya Skazka” in a brick house. The counselors live together in male and female rooms for 2-4 people. Showers are available all the time. No sleeping bags are needed, food is provided in the local camp cafeteria (5 meals a day).
There’s nearly no Internet on the territory of the camp, so if you need any video, photos, or any other downloadable material you should probably download it before coming to the camp. There will a black-and-white printer available in the camp.
- Things to bring:
• information about your country (presentation, flag, map, traditional and popular music, costumes, pictures, food, etc.);
• information and materials needed for language lessons. It would be better if you prepare the necessary materials, worksheets, video, songs, pictures beforehand since the Internet connection is extremely slow and unstable there;
• traditional children’s and sport games if there are any;
• comfortable clothes and footwear (no heels) both light and warm because summers in Russia can be unpredictable. Make sure to bring enough sport clothing and also a pair of trainers and sandals (flip-flops.
• a swim suit. There’s a beautiful lake on the camp’s territory.
• and the most important - your love for children, smiles and positive attitude=) Be ready for the time of your life!
- NB:
Motivation letter is needed!
- Travel and meeting information:
It is very important that you inform us about your arrival no later than 1 WEEK BEFOREHAND.
It is possible to arrive in Cheboksary either by train or bus. Either way we will meet you according to your arrival time. That’s why it is very important that you inform us about your arrival no later than 1 WEEK BEFOREHAND.
- The camp starts on the 3rd January at 9:
30 a.m. It means that you should plan you trip accordingly. It is very important that you arrive before the camp starts, because the camp location is outside the city in the forest, so it will be impossible for you to get there by yourself.
You can arrive in Cheboksary on the 2d of January, in that case we will host you for the night.
The time is flexible!!! That’s why it is very important that you inform us about your arrival no later than 1 WEEK BEFOREHAND.
The easiest and most convenient trip to Cheboksary is from Moscow. Although there is also a train from Saint Petersburg and buses from nearby cities like Kazan and Nizhny Novgorod.
- How to get to Cheboksary from Moscow:
From Moscow you can arrive to Cheboksary by train or by bus. The train is preferable as it’s safer and more comfortable. Please notice that the distance between Moscow and Cheboksary is about 650 km, so it’ll take you around 10-11 hours to get to Cheboksary by bus or by train (it is usually an overnight journey).
If you are travelling by train -
•take Aeroexpress from the airport to the Belorussky Rail Terminal (Belorusskaya metro station). More information about Aeroexpress: http://www.aeroexpress.ru/en/
•take the metro to the Kazansky Vokzal (Kazan railway station). Trains to Cheboksary leave from this station. The name of metro station there is Komsomolskaya (Комсомольская). It’s advisable to book a train ticket in advance. You can do it here http://pass.rzd.ru/main-pass/public/en
If you are travelling by bus -
from Belorusskaya metro station take the metro to Shelkovskaya metro station (Щелковская). The Shelkovsky (Moskovsky) bus station is situated there. To book a bus ticket go here http://mosoblvokzaly.ru/
- DO NOT FORGET:
As soon as you arrive to Cheboksary a person in charge of administration matters will collect passports for their registration (PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO TAKE THE IMMIGRATION CARD ON ENTERING THE COUNTRY). No later than three-four days after arriving in Russia the volunteers are supposed to have been registered.
- Location:
Cheboksary (Chuvash people name is Shupashkar) is the capital and administrative center of the Chuvash Republic of Russia.
The city is an important port on the Volga River, industrial and cultural center of the region. There is also Novocheboksarsk (satellite city) located about 6 km from Cheboksary.
- Insurance:
We do not provide the incoming volunteers with insurance. Normally the volunteers get the insurance in their countries when they submit visa documents to the embassy.
